Wednesday, March 11, 2015

So it's springtime in Texas, that means 2 big things to most of our outdoor enthusiasts. Camping, and rain...

It would appear that God had something interesting in mind for outdoorsy folks in the spring when he made Texas. At the time of year the weather is not too cold, but cool enough to sleep in a tent, he threw lots and lots of rain our way just to make things entertaining....

Now there's nothing I like more than to be snuggled up with my wife listening to the rain hitting a taut waterproof rainfly. And there is nothing I hate more than being awakened at 3 A.M. in a torrential downpour only to find a river running through my tent, and the rainfly seam directly over my head leaking a steady stream of water onto my sleeping bag and saturating it and me....

So how do we manage to stay dry and warm when camping in the sog?

It all starts out with proper tent selection...

Let's start off talking about tent sizes.... Now I totally get it that you might want a nice roomy tent to move around in, have a dedicated area to get dressed in instead of trying to slide your pants on while wrestling against an airbed. But let's keep things in perspective. A couple probably doesn't need to be pitching a 10x20 tent for a couple of reasons.

#1. The larger the tent, the more the seams.
#2. The larger the tent, the more the zippers.
#3. The larger the tent, the more the tent is susceptible to the wind, and falling / blowing stuff that can punch holes in it.
#4. And lastly, the larger the tent, the more interior volume you have to either keep warm, or cool... Both are terribly challenging with greater interior volumes.

BUT, there are features found on larger tents that you may find highly desireable such as.

#1. Power Ports. If you camp where power is available, many family tents, and even some cheap models have Power Ports. This allows you to bring in outlets for things like chargers, small fans, or even a small space heater (Be extra, extra, extra careful with those!) We have a Coleman Sundome 10x10 from about 2004 or 2005 that includes that feature. Very nice to have! We have a GFCI outlet strip that we plug a small portable fan into. We keep a small cooler that is just a spare, that holds a block of ice. We simply open the lid and have the fan blow across the ice. Keeps the test super cold through the night...

#2. Eyebrow windows. These offer the opportunity to have some fresh air flowing through your tent without fresh water falling though the screen, and the downward slope of the window affords you at least a small measure of privacy against those strolling by your tent.

#3. Partitioned spaces / rooms. This is great to allow mom and dad at least a tiny bit of privacy from the kids, or a couple of hunting buddies privacy from each other when it's time to hit the rack... The most popular reason to have a larger tent is in fact to keep families together instead of shoving the kids off in a tent on their own. This can easy many an anxious parent, or child until the child hits their teens and decides, that "Share a tent with mom and dad? Ewwww!"

#4. Higher center ceiling heights making it easier for taller adults to stand up, get dressed etc... in one.

#5. Typically lower cost as more expensive lightweight materials aren't used very often in larger / family sized tents. Not too many aluminum or titanium poles to be found here! Just shock corded fiberglass.

#6. Rugged, easily patchable, and nearly water resistant tub floors. These are typically made of the same stuff that heavy nylon / vinyl tarpaulins are made of. The floors do a great job of keeping water out, unless it is already in, where they do a great job of keeping the water IN.. Not by design of course, but you get the idea...

So you see there is a lot to be fond of in larger tents. Their upsides, depending on the application however, can be a real deal killer in other applications. Nobody is taking a large say Canvas cabin tent backpacking any time soon unless they are training for an ironman competition. And many older, smaller camp sites just don't have tent pads large enough to pitch a big old tent...

So it's crucially important to keep your party size, level of comfort, and budget in mind when selecting a tent.